Boko Haram kills 40 in Nigeria

Boko Haram Takfiri militants have killed dozens of civilians during a series of recent violent attacks on four villages in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, local residents and security sources say. Local residents and the police confirmed on Tuesday that at least 43 people were killed near Monguno, a local government area of Borno State last Friday. 

Militants stormed the remote villages in the troubled state and rounded up dozens of people before slitting their throats, media outlets quoted Kilwa village resident Sheriff Kulo as saying. Sources say the heavily-armed militants also set scores of houses ablaze in the area.

Nigerian police had earlier said that they were investigating reports that dozens of people were killed in a series of raids by Boko Haram extremists in a remote region of northeastern Borno State. 

In a separate development on Tuesday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari appointed new military chiefs shortly following the dismissal of the nation’s top military commanders. 

The dismissal of entire military top brass was widely expected as Buhari, a former general, had severely criticized the military's poor performance and failure to defeat Boko Haram Takfiri militant group.